Contax's autofocus SLR — the AX, focuses by moving the film plane, C/Y mount, 1996.
The Contax AX was an electronic 35mm film SLR in the Contax/Yashica system, made by Kyocera, and it was unusual for delivering autofocus with manual-focus Zeiss T* lenses. Rather than motorising the lens, it achieved focus by moving the film plane back and forth inside the body, allowing standard C/Y mount lenses to be focused automatically. This distinctive design set it apart from every other body in the range.
It is a 35mm single-lens-reflex camera on the Contax/Yashica mount, with an electronically timed vertical focal-plane shutter that requires battery power to fire. Its autofocus works by shifting the entire film-plane and mount assembly to bring the image into focus, since the Zeiss lenses themselves are manual-focus designs. Metering is TTL centre-weighted and spot, and exposure modes include program, aperture-priority automatic, shutter-priority automatic and manual. It has a built-in drive and an LCD display, and depends on its battery for operation.
This body suits professional, portrait and general work for photographers who want autofocus while keeping the existing Zeiss C/Y lens range. Its film-plane focusing method makes it larger and heavier than other Contax bodies, but it lets users add autofocus convenience without buying dedicated AF lenses, which is its main point of interest.
When buying used, the film-plane focusing mechanism is the key check: confirm autofocus drives smoothly and that the moving assembly is not sluggish or noisy. Test the electronics and LCD, the meter patterns and all exposure modes. Inspect foam light seals and mirror-damper foam for perishing, verify shutter accuracy without capping, and test film advance and rewind. Check the finder for prism haze, confirm the battery type and reliable power-up, and note that this electronic body will not fire with flat batteries.